Florida condo & HOA news
Plain-English Florida condo and HOA law updates for owners, volunteer board members, managers, and everyone navigating community-association life.
Read the latest articles ↓From the front lines
Written by Eric M. Glazer · Florida attorney
So here we are, several weeks into the pandemic, and we continue to meet, but no longer in person, face to face. I have had phone calls, group conference calls and video calls with clients. I have been able to still teach hundreds of directors by video conference. Of course, I have not physically attended…
Read: ARE THESE TEMPORARY CHANGES TEMPORARY → For a time, directors had to be careful about keeping their emotions in check while at Board meetings. When a director said “I had enough, I quit” that actually meant they were gone. That outburst was enough to be treated as an effective resignation. See: See Dehne v. Ocean Club II Condo. Ass’n Inc., Arb.…
Read: WHEN DOES "I QUIT" REALLY TAKE EFFECT? → Avery interesting courtroom battle was decided at Florida’s 3rd District Court of Appeals last month. In The City of Miami v. Air BNB, the facts were that the City of Miami was attempting to enforce provisions of its zoning code which would in effect tailor or prevent the right of residents in certain areas…
Read: AIR BNB UPDATE AND –REQUIRING THAT YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF → Both the condo statute and the HOA statute grant owners the authority to record board meetings. The condo statute states: 718.112: The right to attend such meetings includes the right to speak at such meetings with reference to all designated agenda items. The division shall adopt reasonable rules…
Read: THE RIGHT TO VIDEO RECORD YOUR BOARD MEETING → So you ran for the Board because you were tired of the board members ignoring your requests to discuss certain issues at board meetings. It gets better………..you won. The only problem is that you’re still in the minority, as you and your friend only constitute 2 of the five seats. As a result, nothing has…
Read: WHOSE AGENDA WILL BE PUT ON THE AGENDA? → Every year at this time we head into the peak of hurricane season hoping that “the big one” stays away for another year. In my 30 years now in South Florida there have been three or 4 named storms that wreaked some havoc on our communities in South Florida and even more on the west coast and in the…
Read: HURRICANE HEADACHES → Maybe it’s the media’s fault, talk radio, reality TV, our medications, our upbringing or a simple degradation of how we feel and respect each other, but it seems that pure debate has been replaced with vulgarities, interruptions and even threats, both physical and verbal. One of the worst inventions in terms…
Read: IS DEBATE AND PROPER DECORUM POSSIBLE ANY LONGER? → In three days it’s July 4th. Our country’s birthday USA flags will be flying everywhere, even in our community associations and even if the Board in that association says take it down. Why then are there fights ever year on the news about Boards attempting to force owners to take the flag down? The…
Read: NO MORE FLAG FIGHTS PLEASE! → Ihave written several blogs about a unit owner’s responsibility to look after their unit, even when they go away for the summer or back to their home in the northern part of the country. Does the same responsibility apply to members of the Board? I believe it does. Board members deserve breaks too. They…
Read: OUT OF SIGHT DOESN’T MEAN OUT OF MIND – PART 2 → Ihave always said that there is nothing worse than a Board member simply taking up a chair at Board meetings and refusing to participate...
Read: THE FINE LINE OF BEING A GOOD BOARD MEMBER → Sometimes you just have to shake your head in amazement at some of the laws that exist. Here’ an example: We all know that a “Meeting of...
Read: WHEN IS A MEETING A MEETING? ARE YOU SURE? → For all eternity, the first week of the new year brings talk of resolutions for the coming year. We resolve to eat right, exercise, lose...
Read: PRACTICAL NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS → The flag sure is a topic of discussion in the country. The purpose of today is not to take a side on whether or not NFL players should sit or stand. Although I’m sure you guys know where I stand on that issue. I go to so many of your meetings. Some of them are in Board rooms and some of them are in large…
Read: IS YOUR ASSOCIATION FLAG FRIENDLY? → In June of 2015, The Florida Supreme Court decided what a licensed community association can do, without being accused of practicing law without a license. The truth is…..The Florida Bar tried hard to curtail what community association managers can do without a license to practice law, while the community…
Read: COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS AND MANAGERS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER → Last year we blogged about a long awaited decision by The Florida Supreme Court regarding what a licensed community association can do, without being accused of practicing law without a license. It bears repeating. The Florida Bar tried hard to curtail what community association managers can do without a…
Read: CAMS BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW → It’s President’s Day today. Time to honor Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln and all the other Presidents. Let’s not forget Smith, Cohen, Jones, Martinez and Miller. I know the last few names on the list weren’t Presidents of The United States. I haven’t totally lost my mind….yet. But surely, these…
Read: IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT'S DAY → I’ve been to some crazy board meetings over the years. And one I attended Thursday night ranks right up there with the loudest, craziest and meanest of all time. And this happened even though two police officers attended the meeting. It is frightening to think what would or could have happened had they…
Read: ORDER IN THE COURT! OR THE BOARD ROOM…. OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER → There are all kinds of Board members and all kinds of reasons to want to become a Board member. Maybe you think expenses are too high. Maybe you think there’s not enough transparency. Perhaps you want to bring some diversity to a Board that has basically been the same group of folks for the last decade or…
Read: ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH TO BE A BOARD MEMBER? →Read it. Then watch it.
